I will be the dissenting voice here. Justin knew in advance that he was receiving the award and meeting the Prime Minister, the timing and location is no excuse. I'm sure he could have worn almost ANYTHING to the prior "meet and greet" that would have been more acceptable than those sloppy overalls for subsequently meeting with the PM. Not to mention he could have removed the hat and didn't. Very rude, but manners seem to be out of style these days.The fact that the PM is humorously"excusing" him shows that Mr Harper HAS class and manners. I hope Justin learns a lesson from this. The booing of his performance at the Grey Cup game probably had something to do with this although i also think that was bad manners too!

I didn't see the part of the article that said he was rehearsing - didn't read it all the way through. Still, I have to say I agree with Kate.

He had to know in advance the PM was coming, or his handlers should have. They should have had him change into something more appropriate. That outfit makes him look like an ignorant, uneducated slob. I mean, he couldn't even button the overalls all the way?

I'm so glad my 10 year old DD does not like him or his music and makes faces whenever his name is mentioned. She used to be a fan of Selena Gomez, and when she found out Selena was dating him, said "I just lost all respect for her". Now that they are broken up, I don't know what she thinks but I know she's no longer a Selena fan.

And I have thought that perhaps he did this on purpose to cause publicity and get people talking.

By my reading of the article, this award was presented to Bieber at his performance venue between two public appearances (a meet-and-greet and an actual performance). If the overalls were a typical example of Bieber's "work clothes," i.e. that is the outfit he was going to wear in the performance and it is typical of his performance attire, then I think it makes sense for him to wear that for the presentation for a couple of reasons.1. I assume this award is being given because of his work as a pop-star, not something unrelated to his work.2. I doubt this time and location were the only possible options for giving the award, which implies someone in charge of the award thought Bieber's performance venue (his workplace, even if just for the day) was a good place for it. They probably could have done this in a more formal or "official" venue, but chose not to.

To me, if someone is receiving an award for/because of their work and those giving the award choose to do so at that person's workplace in the middle of their workday, then I would assume that's an indicator that the person's typical work attire would be appropriate. If the work attire isn't appropriate, then IMO the award should be presented at a different time and/or place when the person isn't working.

To use other examples: If a government official (GO) shows up at a police station to present an award to a police officer for actions on the job, would you expect the officer to change out of his uniform into a suit? If a GO has an award for a construction worker and chooses to present it at his construction site in the middle of the workday, would it be inappropriate for the worker to receive it wearing a hardhat and blue jeans? If an award is being presented to an orchestra conductor at intermission, should he change out of his tuxedo into a normal suit so he's not overdressed for the occasion?

The PM's response could be a humorous way of "excusing" Bieber, but it could also indicate that he doesn't think he has anything to excuse him for, because they intentionally showed up at a time when he'd be dressed for going on stage. Whether Bieber's stage attire is classy and flattering or not is IMO a separate question.

To me, if someone is receiving an award for/because of their work and those giving the award choose to do so at that person's workplace in the middle of their workday, then I would assume that's an indicator that the person's typical work attire would be appropriate. If the work attire isn't appropriate, then IMO the award should be presented at a different time and/or place when the person isn't working.

To use other examples: If a government official (GO) shows up at a police station to present an award to a police officer for actions on the job, would you expect the officer to change out of his uniform into a suit? If a GO has an award for a construction worker and chooses to present it at his construction site in the middle of the workday, would it be inappropriate for the worker to receive it wearing a hardhat and blue jeans? If an award is being presented to an orchestra conductor at intermission, should he change out of his tuxedo into a normal suit so he's not overdressed for the occasion?

Yes, this. In fact, as I understand it, many politicians actively want photo ops with, say, construction workers in their hard hats, firemen in their fire uniforms, etc., in order to humanize the politician and make him look like a "man of the people," and/or to publicly honor the job that the worker does. The PM may have picked a time Bieber would look like, well, Bieber, in order to make himself look more hip to his younger constituents. Bieber in a suit wouldn't necessarily carry the same PR message.

Considering how much people hate Bieber, at least some people probably wouldn't have liked it regardless of what he wore...his name has almost become a household joke in a lot of places. I'm not sure what makes him worse than any other young popstar, but hey, at least the overalls were noticeable enough that it gave people a reason to make fun of his clothes! (/tongue in cheek)

Given that M&G is usually right before any show (sometimes to the point of delaying the show to finish with fans), I'm not surprised by the clothing as much as the timing. If they wanted him dressed differently, it would've been earlier in the day.